The present invention relates to material transport vehicle unloading systems, and more particularly, to a portable drive-over truck dump conveyor system with a low profile drive-over ramp.
Material transport vehicle unloading conveyor systems are commonly used whenever there is a need to transport and store materials at a variety of locations. For example, the agricultural and aggregate industries use unloading conveyor systems to transport and stockpile various materials. Conventional unloading conveyor systems include a material deposit hopper that feeds a conveyor system to transport the deposited material to a final destination for stockpiling. The deposit hopper of such unloading systems typically has a height of six feet or more above the ground. Access to the hopper for material transport vehicles is provided by building large earthen ramps on either side of the hopper. The set up time for such unloading conveyor systems requires a large volume of earthen material (e.g., 1,000 cubic yards or more) and time (e.g., ten hours or more) to construct the earthen ramps. As such, conventional unloading conveyor systems are not suited to circumstances requiring periodic relocation of the unloading conveyor, such as road construction projects. There is a need for a material transport vehicle unloading system that is portable, quick and easy to set up, and able to be relocated at minimal cost.